“Congratulations @yadavakhilesh for getting SP symbol. You deserve it,” Banerjee said in a tweet. In a major boost to Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Akhilesh Yadav, the Election Commission today recognised the faction headed by him as the Samajwadi Party and alloted the reserved symbol ‘bicycle’ to it for contesting the coming assembly polls.

During the ongoing rift in the Samajwadi Party family, the TMC leadership had extended support to Akhilesh by terming him as the “most popular leader” of the state. Banerjee and several top TMC leaders share a very cordial relationship with Akhilesh Yadav.